Amber Waves of 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz

Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies Ltd.—more widely known as Da Jiang Innovations, or simply DJI—is a Chinese state-backed designer and manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). DJI drones are widely used in the music, television, and film industries. In 2021 DJI models accounted for approximately 76-percent of consumer drone sales.

On 01 May 2023, DJI introduced its Agras T20P agricultural drone to the Americas at Brazil’s Agrishow, an agricultural technology trade show that ranks among the world’s largest such events. The instance occasioned the platform’s first showing outside of Asia.

The Agras T20P is designed to function in concert with DJI’s SmartFarm Web, a software product that concomitantly generates high-definition images of farmland, orchards, vineyards, etc. and analyzes crop growth with a high-degree of clarity.

The latter system facilitates comprehensive and convenient management of digitalized agricultural information by providing guidance germane to the automated operation of various implements of agricultural machinery and monitoring the effectiveness of agrarian operations.

DJI established the DJI Agriculture brand in 2015 and has since developed a broad portfolio of Agras products to include the T-series and MG-series agricultural drones, the Mavic 3 Multispectral platform, and the DJI Terra and SmartFarm Apps.

DJI Agriculture works with partners and industry stakeholders to create an aerial application ecosystem conducive to pesticide optimization, product improvement, technological advancement, and talent growth. The products borne of subject enterprise have been used in various regions and are favored by a global customer base.

Celio Zhang, regional representative of the Americas at DJI Agriculture stated: “The introduction of DJI Agras T20P to the Americas is expected to benefit farmers by enhancing the standard and productivity of their crops, cutting down expenses, and boosting revenue. Additionally, it will encourage the advancement of contemporary agriculture practices and provide the very latest technology to help farming businesses thrive.”

DJI’s Agras T20P is a light and nimble UAS featuring a quad-copter architecture comprising a new tilted-truss design by which the drone’s size is reduced by nearly 77-percent. The reduction in weight dramatically enhances the ease with which single-operators’ may employ the platform. The model is equipped with a dual atomized spraying system, DJI Terra active phased array radar, and binocular vision. The platform supports multiple operations—from surveying and mapping, to spraying and spreading—offering superior performance and versatility at an attractive price-point.

To enhance platform service life and minimize maintenance, the Agras T20P’s new magnetic transmission design isolates the drone’s motor and transmission from pesticides, fertilizers, and other corrosives peculiar to commercial agriculture. What’s more, the T20P’s dual atomized spray disc ensures even droplets and more efficient pesticide usage. The proprietary centrifugal valve prevents leakage, precludes over-fertilization and pollution, and reduces pesticide use.

The T20P’s spreading system is capable of distributing one-ton of fertilizer per-hour, thereby supporting increased payload weights of up to 25-kilograms and 35-liters. The contraption is equipped, also, with a weighing sensor that monitors the spread quantity and remaining payload. The spreading device—and the entire drone, for that matter—can be easily dismantled in as little as three-minutes for cleaning or service. 

The T20P’s obstacle-sensing capability has been significantly enhanced by onboard active phased array radar and binocular vision systems—the combination of which enables 360-degree omnidirectional obstacle sensing, which in turn ensures optimal security during operations. T20P pilots will appreciate the platform’s fifty-meter detection threshold, which allows for intelligent terrain-following, smooth scaling, and the avoidance of terrestrial obstacles.

By combining mapping, spraying, and spreading functions in a rugged and easy-to-operate machine, DJI’s AGRAS T20P enables users to capture any number of desired perspectives through the drone’s Ultra-High Definition UHD camera and adjustable gimbal. Farmland and orchard images can be captured in real time, and local maps may be generated using the UAS’s remote control in the absence of a full internet connection. The system detects land boundaries and obstacles automatically, in so doing permitting farmers, orchard-keepers, and vintners to plan and execute flight operations more quickly, safely, and effectively—particularly over hilly, wooded, or otherwise irregular terrain.

For maximal utilization of the platform’s farmland information management and intelligent field scouting and analysis functions, DJI recommends the Agras T20P platform be paired with the company’s Mavic 3 Multispectral. The latter system is capable of generating 3D maps of hillside orchards with complex terrains, by which it plans 3D routes for agricultural drones. The Mavic 3 Multispectral is capable, also, of guiding variable-rate operations by generating prescription maps and synchronizing them to agricultural drones, thereby saving pesticides and fertilizer.

DJI’s Agras T20P will be available for purchase in select countries and regions on 10 May 2023. Parties interested in learning more about the product’s pricing and availability are invited to contact authorized DJI resellers. Operators are encouraged to check local regulations for purpose of determining what certifications and approvals are required to operate the Agras T20P and other DJI UAS platforms in their respective countries and regions.

FMI: www.dji.com